A Comparative Taxonomic Study of Seeds of Some Plants of Rosaceae Family in Iraq

Plant Archives Vol. 20, Supplement 2, 2020 pp. 589-595 e-ISSN:2581-6063 (online), ISSN:0972-5210

A COMPARATIVE TAXONOMIC STUDY OF SEEDS OF SOME PLANTS OF ROSACEAE FAMILY IN IRAQ

Zainab Abid Aun Ali Department of Biology, College of science for women, University of Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Seeds of 12 types of fruits of plants within the family Rosaceae, representing seven genera cultivated in Iraq were examined. The study included Pyrus communis L., Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., Cydonia oblonga Mill., Crataegus azarulus L., Malus domestica Borkh., Prunus persica (L.) Batsch., Prunus persica var. nectarina (Sol.) Maxim., Prunus persica var. platycarpa (Decne.) L.H. Bailey, Prunus domestica L., Prunus domestica var. italica (Borkh.) Schneid., Prunus cerasus L ., Prunus armaniaca L. and Rosa damascene Mill. Seeds were glabrous except of R. damascene were pubescence. Seeds of Prunus were coated by brown thin dry cover (testa) and in other genera were near this color either reddish brown as of M. domestica or light brown as of C. azarulus or dark brown– black as of E. japonica . Most seeds were ovate or obovate but were elliptic in P. armaniaca , puffed Oblong in E. japonica , spherical in P. persica var. platycarpa and were hemi spherical in C. azarulus . Seeds of Prunus were covered by hard woody endocarp; each type has different color and surface sculptures. There were variations in the surface configurations of endocarps and seeds between genera; it can be used as taxonomic evidences in separating the nearest taxa. Keywords : Rosaceae, Pyrus , Eriobotrya , Cydonia , Crataegus , Malus. Prunus, Rosa

Introduction have five petals (simple flowers), whereas high numbers of Rosaceae is cosmopolitan, 115 genera and 3200 petals (double flowers) are typical attributes of most of the species, with economic importance especially in the tropical cultivated roses (Annick Dobois et al., 2010). R. damascene zones; known as fruits such as apples, peach, apricot or known as damask rose because it was originally brought to decoration plants such as roses (Al-Kateb, 1988). Plants of Europe from Damascus, it's an important species because of Rosaceae are trees, shrubs or herbs, flowers mostly the essential oils its consisted (Mohamed et al., 2014; actinomorphic, bisexual or rarely unisexual, fruit an achene, Mahmoodreza et al., 2010). Cultivated apple is a deciduous, follicle, drupe or pome, rarely a capsule, seeds without or rarely evergreen tree or shrub, differently from other very scanty endosperm, (Tawsend et al., 1966). Rosaceae Rosaceae species, it has a distinctive basic haploid chromo- family was re- classified into three subfamilies: Rosoideae, some number of x¼17 (Evans & Campbell, 2002). Apple Dryadoideae and Spiraeoideae; all genera of Punoideae and flower is epigenous, bisexual and every flower has Maloideae were included into Spiraeoideae, (D. Potter et al. , syncarpous gynoecium with ovary surrounded by non- 2007). The last subfamily is rather to be called ovarian tissue that will develop to form a pseudocarpic fruit, Amygdaloideae under the international Code of also called "false" or "pome" fruit (Rohrer et al., 1991). Nomenclature as updated in 2011 (McNeill et al., 2012). The Peach Prunus L. has high nutritive value as well as anti- fruits of C. oblonga due to its hardness, acidity and allergic, antitumor, anticancer, anti- inflammatory, astringency it is not edible fresh but it is often used to prepare antibacterial and antimicrobial (Ravi Kant et al., 2018). jam, (Branca et al. , 2005). Hawthorn plant C. azarulus is Monica et al., 2015). (Al-Ma`thidy et al., 2003). The study commonest native species in Iraq the yellowish- red fruit aimed to examine seeds of the most common fruit known eaten and the wood is durable, (Tawsend et al., 1966). Plants between Iraqi people from the family Rosaceae, some of of E. japonica cultivated mainly as an ornamental on a small them edible and some are not (Table 1). Most researchers scale in our gardens (Chakravarty, 1976), it is an exotic plant studied the chemical compounds and their medical important for Iraq, E. japonica used in food products and for health or their taxonomic aspects because there are so many which were the leaves used for asthma, dyspepsia, bronchitis, synonyms, this study tried to found varieties in the kidney cases, and blood sugar control, (Ito et al. , 2000; morphological characteristics in seeds and endocarps Bagamboula, 2004). Roses have been cultivated for centuries particularly in the surface configurations and consider it as and a number of varieties have been selected based on flower taxonomic evidence. traits such as petal form, color, and number. Wild-type roses

Table 1 : Classification and local name of studied species Common local Common Order Family Sub-family Genus Species names in IRAQ foreign names Ros- Rosa-ceae Amygdal- Pyrus communis Ārmot Pear ales oideae Eriobotrya japonica Yenk Denea loquat Cydonia oblonga Safarjal, Haiwa quince Crataegus azarulus Zārūr hawthorn 590 A comparative taxonomic study of seeds of some plants of rosaceae family in Iraq

Malus domestica Tuffah Apple persica Khoukh-sufy wooly peach persica var. Khoukh- amlas smooth peach nectarina persica var. Khoukh- ka āky flat peach platycarpa Prunus domestica Inj ās European plum domestica var. Gaucha greengage italica* cerasus Karaz cherry armaniaca Mishmish apricot Ros-oideae Rosa damascena Ward rose *Prunus domestica var. italica* after flora of Iraq vol II 1966 , but it is Prunus domestica subsp. italica (Borkh.) Gams , after plant list organization in 2012

Materials and Methods The study followed (Al-Zubaedy et al., 2013) method to examine 25 seeds were collected from well ripe fruits of Rosaceae plants cultivated in orchards and gardens in different districts in the north and east of Iraq during 2017. Some seeds were soaked with salty water to facilitate the breakage of their woody solid cover (endocarp). seeds with testa seeds with broken testa seeds Results and Discussion Fig. 2: seeds of Eriobotrya japonica

(A) Quantitative characteristics: (Table 2) and (Table 3) (iii) Cydonia oblonga : (i) Pyrus communis : The fruit was pear shaped, yellow or yellowish green, The fruit of pear was yellow or greenish yellow, endocarp was white cartilaginous, lining the fleshy mesocarp. endocarp was white; cartilaginous enclosed the locules of the Seed was dark brown- black, obovate with three faces (c.s. is mature ovaries were the seeds exited. Seed was elongated triangular), the apex was not sharp acute but narrow semi- obovate, dark brown- black.Seed was glabrous and lack truncate. There was no sculpture on surface and seed was surface sculpturing, entire. (fig.1) glabrous (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Seeds of Cydonia oblonga (1 mm. between black lines) Crataegus azarulus : Fig. 1: Seeds of Pyrus communis The endocarp was membranous immerged with the (ii) Eriobotrya japonica : fleshy part of edible fruit (mesocarp and exocarp), fruit was The endocarp was thin membranous, white, lining the yellowish- red. There were two seeds at the center of the fleshy mesocarp and merged with it. The seed was oblong, fruit, each seed was elongated hemi- spherical; inner flat side dark brown- black. Seed was glabrous and entire without any and outer convex side; the inner sides face each other. The sculpturing. (fig.2) seed was light brown; with one longitudinal line elevated on convex side. Seed was glabrous. Surface configuration was simple muricate. (Fig. 4)

Zainab Abid Aun Ali 591

(a)two seeds attached together ( 5mm.) (b)one seed half spherical ( 5mm.) Figure 4: seed of Crataegus azarulus

Malus domistica : the seeds within the cavities of the locules in the mature ovaries (fruit). Seed was reddish- brown, glabrous, obovate The study examined different types of apple; red, yellow, with wide rounded apex and narrow base. Seed lack surface green and all of them have the same features. Endocarp was configuration so it is described as entire. (Fig. 5) white, cartilaginous lining the fleshy mesocarp and including

Green apple Yellow apple Red apple Fig. 5: seed of Malus domistica (4mm. —)

(iv) Prunus L. sutures. Seed was brown, elongated ovate- lanceolate, glabrous; sculpturing was slightly raised elongated lines. Texture of endocarp of fruit was hard- woody, almost b. Fruit of P. persica var. nectarina was red and smooth. ovate and consist one seed coated with brown thin testa, all Endocarp was ovate- wide lanceolate, golden light seeds were glabrous and so were their woody endocarps, brown, pits are deep, irregular and less, deep grooves sometimes the seed inside it's woody endocarp called stony and acute edges at the base. Seed was brown, elliptic, seed (Al- Ma`thidy et al ., 2003) were seed cultivated and it's and glabrous; sculpturing was some slightly raised lines inside it. It was difficult to obtain good shape seed when tried near both sides. to broken the woody endocarp. Qualitative characteristics c. Fruit of P. persica var . platycarpa was red-pink, wooly; will be as follow: (Fig. 6) fruit is similar in shape with common wooly peach but a. Fruit of P. persica was yellowish pink and wooly. with some flatness. Endocarp was spherical; dark Endocarp was lanceolate, golden light brown, irregular reddish brown, deep elongated irregular pits sculpturing deep pits distribute on surface, deep elongated grooves and acute grooves at the sutures. Seed was brown, wide near the base and there were small delicate pits near the ovate- spherical; sculpturing was dotted.

(a) Lateral view 10mm. (b) Lateral view 10mm. 592 A comparative taxonomic study of seeds of some plants of rosaceae family in Iraq

(e) Apical view 10mm. (f) Lateral view 10mm. Fig. 6: Stony seed of Prunus : (a, b) P. persica , (c, d) P. persica var, nectarina , (e, f) P. persica var. platycarpa d. Endocarp of P. domistica was whitish light brown, e. Endocarp of P. domistica var. italica was whitish gray, surface configuration is acute grooves at the edges, the wide ovate; surface smooth with some wavy- simple pits are darker than the surface, deep edges are along grooves clearly appear at the base. Seed was dark the surface, clear grooves at the base. The seed was brown, elongated ovate- oblong, mucronate apex, ovate, brown, acute apex; there were raised lines near surface was almost entire without sculpturing. (Fig. 7) the base regulated in pattern of veins. (Fig. 7)

(a) Stony seed (b) Seed

(c) Stony seed (10mm.) (d) Seed Fig. 7: seed of (a, b) P . domistica, (c, d) P. domistica var. italica (distance between colored lines is 1mm.) f. Fruit of P. cerasus was red- reddish black. Endocarp was configuration is of simple protrusions give the whitish gray, entire with some acute ridge near the appearance of reticulate shape or muricate. (Fig. 8) suture. Seed was brown, ovate; apex acute, surface

(a) Stony seed (b) Seed Fig. 8: seed of P. cerasus (distance between lines is 1mm.)

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g. Color of fruit of P. armenica was orange or yellowish orange. Endocarp was brown and it was light brown near base and ventral suture. Surface configuration is shallow reticulate, grooves and sharp edges appeared clearly at the suture. Seed is elliptic, brown, tapering at ends; surface configuration was simple lines raised near the base. (Fig. 9)

(a) (b)

Fig 9: Seed of P. armanica (a, b) lateral view of stony seed (c) Seed (distance between colored lines is 1mm.) (c)

(v) Rosa damascena : Fruit is aggregate, green or red or greenish pink. Gynoecium is poly- apocarpous enclosed within colored fleshy cup shaped receptacle, ovaries lined the inner wall of the receptacle and all styles upward; seed was brown, sometimes there were yellow color at the lower third part of the seed, irregular ovate or ovate with plane sides and the base was wide, there were simple yellow long hairs in different positions of the seed but in general the trichomes were near the base or near the apex. (Fig. 10)

(a) Opened fruit (b) Seeds Yellow hairs

594 A comparative taxonomic study of seeds of some plants of rosaceae family in Iraq

Table 2 : The morphological characteristics of seeds Morpholo-gical Surface Genus Species Color Surface configuration shape indumentums dark brown- Pyrus communis elongated obovate entire glabrous black dark brown- Eriobotrya japonica buffed oblong entire glabrous black dark brown- Cydonia oblonga obovate- pyramid entire glabrous black elongated hemi- irregular simple Crataegus azarulus light brown glabrous spherical muricate Malus domestica obovate reddish brown entire glabrous elongated ovate- slightly raised persica brown glabrous lanceolate elongated lines persica var. elliptic brown slightly raised lines glabrous nectarina persica var. wide ovate- spherical brown dotted glabrous Prunus platycarpa domestica ovate brown raised lines glabrous domestica var. elongated ovate- brown semi- entire glabrous italica* oblong cerasus ** ovate brown reticulate glabrous armaniaca elliptic brown raised lines glabrous Rosa damascena. irregular ovate brown delicate reticulate pubescence

Table 3 : The morphological characteristics for endocarps Morphological Genus Species Color Texture Surface configuration shape communis linning mesocarp white cartilaginous entire Pyrus calleryana elongated ovate white woody entire Eriobotrya japonica linning mesocarp white membranous entire Cydonia oblonga linning mesocarp white cartilaginous entire Crataegus azarulus elongated ovate white woody muricate Malus domestica linning mesocarp white cartilaginous entire -irregular deep pits wide ovate - golden light persica woody -deep elongated grooves at base lanceolate brown -small delicate pits at suture -irregular deep pits persica var. golden light ovate woody -deep grooves & acute edges at the nectarina brown base persica var. dark reddish -deep elongated irregular pits spherical woody platycarpa brown - acute grooves at the edges -acute grooves at the edges Prunus whitish light domestica ovate woody - pits are darker brown - grooves at the base domestica var. smooth with some wavy- simple ovate whitish gray woody italica grooves at the base entire with some acute ridge at the cerasus ovate whitish gray woody suture -shallow reticulate armaniaca wide ovate brown woody - grooves & sharp edges at the suture Rosa* damascena ------*Rosa has aggregate fruit

(A) Qualitative characteristics: (table 4) different genera it was (±9 x ±4) mm. and (±9 x ±5)mm. respectively. All samples of studied seeds of C. azarulus The study measured length and width of each seed; it have the same length (±8 mm.) but the width was varied (5- found that the largest seed was of E. japonica (15 - 17) mm. 7) mm., The study observed seeds of three types of apple; x (10- 14) mm. and of P. armaniaca (15 – 17.5) mm. x (±9 red, green and yellow, they have the same length and width, mm.); while the smallest was the seed of R. damascena . (±4 so that we listed only one data for apple. Seed of Malus mm.) x (±3 mm. ). Seed of P. communis has similar domistica was (5- 7) mm, x ± 5 mm. Seed of P. persica var. measurement with C. oblonga even they are from two Zainab Abid Aun Ali 595

platycarpa was smallest than seed of P. persica and P. mm. x ±10 mm. while the previous was (10- 11) mm. x (6- 8) persica var. nectarine , it was ±8 mm. x (5.5- 7) mm.; while mm. Seed of Prunus cerasu s was the smallest seed between the previous two taxa were (13- 17) mm. x ±14 mm. and (14- the studied species of Prunus L.; it was ±7 mm. x ± 5 mm., 16) mm. x ±9 mm. respectively. Seed of P. domestica was while P. armaniaca was the largest as mentioned before. larger than P. domestica var. italica , the former was (14- 16)

Table 4 : Length and width of seeds Without endocarp With endocarp Genus Species L. (mm.) W. (mm.) L. (mm) W. (mm) Pyrus communis ±9 ±4 ------Eriobotrya japonica 15- 17 10- 14 ------Cydonia oblonga ±9 ±5 ------Crataegus azarulus ±8 5- 7 ------Malus domestica 5- 7 ±5 ------persica 13- 17 ±14 30- 36 24 persica var. nectarina 14- 16 ±9 30- 35 20 persica var. platycarpa ± 8 5.5- 7 18-20 (diameter) Prunus domestica 14- 16 ±10 ±32 ±15 domestica var. italica 10- 11 6- 8 10- 13 13- 15 Cerasus ±7 ±5 armaniaca 15- 17.5 ±9 Rosa damascene ±4 ±3 ------(----): endocarp is not distinguish

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